10 Must-See Animals on a Uganda Safari
10 Must-See Animals on a Uganda Safari
A full list of Uganda safari animals would be longer. We have however 10 Must-See Animals on a Uganda Safari that will inspire your safari to the pearl of Africa.
As a Ugandan Safari and Tour operator, we usually ask our prospective visitors what they would like to see in Uganda. More often than we ask, our guests also ask us which animals they can see on a visit to Uganda’s many national parks and game reserves.
Uganda has a total of more than 340 species of mammals and more than 1000 bird species living in its parks and game reserves. This makes it difficult to fully answer the question of what animals should be on a Uganda wildlife safari bucket list.
This article is our list of 10 Uganda Safari Must-See Animals that we think should be on your bucket list. Is this list enough to cover all the interesting bits? No. It is barely scratching the surface. It is meant to inspire you.
As you go to see these 10, you will end up seeing more than 100 animals. Since wild ecosystems are rich in wildlife and diversity.
List Of Top 10 Must-See Animals on a Uganda Safari
Mountain Gorillas
Of all the 10 Must-See Animals on a Uganda Safari, this is number one. The reason why gorilla trekking safaris are highly regarded the world over is that an encounter with mountain gorillas is a moving experience. You spend an hour watching these gentle giants going about their day’s life. It is more breathtaking than the hike through the lush and dense forest they live in.
Being in the presence of gorillas gives you the chance to observe and witness their daily lives. You’ll see all the common habits, as well as the subtle ones. It is truly an enchanting experience.
African Elephants.
The African Elephant is the Largest Land animal on Earth and can weigh up to 6,000 kilograms. An elephant is one of the classic African Safari animals. Seeing one up close is a revealing moment for how big it is.
There are two types of African Elephants, the massive bush elephants and the smaller (3000 Kg) forest elephants with downward-facing tusks. The best place for elephants is Queen Elizabeth National Park, where you find both the bush and forest species. One can also get to see them close during the Kazinga launch cruise.
Here is our article about African Elephants that will make you realize how BIG of a deal they are.
Boat on the Kazinga Channel to see Elephants
Lions
An African Safari wouldn’t be complete without spotting lions. Even better is when the lions climb up the tree and mind whatever business lions mind. They do so while overlooking the land and spotting some prey in the lush savannah grass. You can find tree-climbing lions in the Ishasha sector, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda. The lions in other parks do not climb trees.
Lions are another safari animal that you shouldn’t miss out to see. This is because they live in many of Uganda’s national parks and are quick to spot.
Other national parks where you can find lions include Murchison Falls National Park and Kidepo Valley National Park.
Visit Queen Elizabeth National Park to spot Tree-climbing Lions
Uganda Kob
The Uganda kob is a type of Antelope that appears on the Uganda Coat of Arms as the National Animal. Uganda kobs are very common in most of Uganda’s National parks and live in grasslands near water bodies.
The safari guide is always eager to tell you all about their ways of life and some interesting and less-known facts. They will most likely be the first animals to welcome you to Uganda’s savannah wildernesses.
The Uganda kob is so common that it is represented on the Uganda Coat of Arms as well as the Uganda Wildlife Authority emblem because it signifies the abundance of wildlife in Uganda.
Chimpanzees
Meet our closest animal cousins. An encounter with Chimpanzees in Kibale National Park is the best opportunity for one to see how closely related we are to these intelligent beings.
Learning about Chimps from the experienced guides will make it clear how closely related we are – and make you appreciate nature from a whole new perspective.
Elands
The Eland is the largest antelope species in the wild. You can only find it in two of Uganda’s National Parks; Lake Mburo and Kidepo Valley National Park.
Mature Elands can weigh up to 900 Kg and are said to produce milk that has better milk fat than cow’s milk.
Elands in Lake Mburo National Park
Zebras
While Theories abound about Zebras and their stripes, and whether any two zebras can have the same stripes.
Zebras live in small family groups but are social enough to mix with other antelope species as they feed – which also acts as protection against predators. In Uganda, You can only find zebras in Kidepo Valley National Park and Lake Mburo National Park. You can witness them up close on a horse ride in Lake Mburo National Park.
Golden Monkey
Golden monkeys are another primate species as rare as the mountain gorillas. You can only find them in the Virunga ranges, spanning DR Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda.
Unlike mountain gorillas which you can see in the two parks of Uganda (Bwindi and Mgahinga), Golden monkeys in Uganda are only in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. They are very playful and always flying around the various branches – which puts on quite the show.
Visit Mgahinga NP to see Golden Monkeys
Rothschild Giraffes
A visit to Murchison Falls National Park means seeing the tall and calm giraffes. You can only find Rothschild giraffes in Kenya and Uganda – with Uganda having the biggest population.
The size and nature of a giraffe is just a marvel of nature that will astound you further as you learn about them from the game rangers.
A giraffe is one of the big safari animals and therefore deserves to be on your wildlife checklist. Check out this article we made that showcases all the places to find giraffes in Uganda.
Shoebill
With more than 1000 bird species, it would be wrong to end this list without a mention of one of the birds that make Uganda a true haven for birders.
The Elusive and prehistoric-looking shoebill is interesting both for the birdwatcher and the ‘non-birder’ of us.
You can find the shoebill in several places of swamp vegetation such as Lake Mburo National Park, Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Murchison Falls National Park, and most popular of all Mabamba Bay in Lake Victoria.
Conclusion
These 10 safari animals should be on your bucket list for a Ugandan Safari. However, they shouldn’t be the only ones. What these are, is a great start that is nowhere near enough. You can consider other animals like leopards, rhinos, buffalos, and many others.
Our past clients have highlighted the above and that is why we think you might want to start there. But planning a Safari isn’t about picking a few things to see. It is also about getting the right information to inform your plans.
In that same way, we encourage you to dig deeper into our blog for various tips, tricks, and hacks to help you in the process.
More safari inspiration can be derived from our already-made safari packages page. These will give you a concrete idea of how a safari progresses from place to place.
All represented itineraries can be customized to suit a person’s budget and needs – so that you don’t have to settle.
